Find Out Why Having a Mobile App in 2013 is 'Critical'

As smartphone use rapidly increases, quick-serve operators are looking for ways to stay up to date and adapt to new technologies and consumer trends. Many are doing so by launching a mobile payment application for their restaurant.

“I believe that having a mobile app in 2013 is critical,” says Michael Hagan, chief operating officer of LevelUp, a mobile platform provider. “Consumers are looking for convenience, speed, and they’re looking for things that will save them money. And having a mobile app is a great way to deliver on all three of those things.”

Though Hagan says he believes that mobile payment systems are the next step for quick serves, he warns that brands should be leery of launching an app just for the sake of it.

“I think what’s critical about having a mobile app is that it should always be evaluated on what it’s doing to the bottom line,” he says. “So if it’s not very feasibly reducing costs, increasing revenue, or delivering incredible insight into the customers, then I would reevaluate what you want out of an app.”

LevelUp’s mobile payment platform allows merchants to accept mobile payments with a 0 percent processing fee and with the added benefit of customization. Through LevelUp’s “White Label” option, businesses can have a personalized app created for them, allowing for brand recognition, Hagan says.

He says LevelUp is the most secure method of payment because there is no credit card information available on their servers or device.

“Many people in the mobile payment space are storing information on an NIC chip or locally on someone’s phone, and that is just a huge, huge liability,” Hagan says. “We believe the best measure of security you could have would be to not have anything worth stealing.”

LevelUp allows merchants to use campaigns to attract new customers and keep existing ones, and it provides merchants insight into who their customers are and how often they are using the app. Hagan says having this kind of information readily available for merchants is critical in the app space.